Make Sure There's a Word in Your Mouth

King Balak sought to take advantage of Balaam’s greed to deliver a curse upon Israel. Raquel Lettsome says there’s a Balak in the life of every Christian; but Balak is not to be avoided, and preachers must learn how to lead Balak in worship, even as Balak tries to lead them astray.

Raquel Lettsome is an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church with 20 years of congregational ministry experience that transcends denominational lines. She is also the managing partner of Say AMEN!, a digital clearinghouse for preaching, teaching, and worship arts. For 16 years, Lettsome served as the first female Executive Minister of the historic 4000 member St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Newark, NJ. A graduate of Yale University (B.A.) and Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div. and Ph.D.), she is a New Testament scholar whose most recent publications include the commentary essay on Mark’s Gospel in Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The New Testament, the three pastoral essays for Feasting on the Gospelscommentary series, and an essay in More Power in the Pulpit: How America’s Best Black Preachers Prepare Their Sermons. Lettsome is the proud wife of the Rev. Lydell C. Lettsome, M.D. and mother of Tiffany Simone and Luke Charles.